Richard Studholm

Monday 20:00 to 22:00 - Rhythm and Blues

Part of the following is from an interview with Blues and Rhythm ...

Richard Studholm has been a working musician both pro and semi-pro from the age of 13, when he joined his first band while at school. Like all of his age who grew up into music Richard was initially profoundly interested in The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, although not too attracted by the more overt "pop" material from those days. After becoming interested in who the writers were on the Stones first album, Richard set out to find out who E. McDaniel, J. Moore, McKinley Morganfield, Willie Dixon and Jimmy Reed were, and discovered the rich world of American Blues. British favourites from the 60's blues boom included John Mayall, and Fleetwood Mac, particularly the guitar of Peter Green. Moving to New York in 1977, working as a mechanic, Richard began to discover the blues on a more local level besides the more famous and well-known...

With Bill Dicey*, Charles "Honeyboy" Otis** and Sherman Holmes*** (all very respected in the NYC roots music scene), Richard was booked to play parties, bars, private events and support slots with likes of Albert King, in a band that would last some six years, also allowing him to play with some visiting blues legends.

"This was a very productive and steep learning period for me...I learned how to play basically..I was very young (26) compared with the other guys and they, particularly Charles, were very supportive and helpful, playing, showing and teaching me things, particularly rhythmic stuff that I'd never come across in the UK"

This was right through the disco and country periods then currently popular in America when it just wasn't cool to play blues. There seemed only isolated outposts such as Antones' famous venue in Texas, gigs in Boston, Mass. the Chesapeake bay area and, it seemed, very little else. Richard remembers seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Fabulous Thunderbirds in NYC around that time..

"Fans loved them, but to most people they seemed like aliens...even in New York. Only WNEW fm played their stuff...I'm sure it was David Bowie who brought Stevie Ray Vaughan into the limelight for his playing on "Lets Dance".

But there was a buzz happening for the blues, because as we all know, blues took off in the 80's/90's with the introduction of "The Blues Brothers" movie and it all ended up with a great many misguided people rushing round gigging in black suits and hats and calling it blues... Then Gary Moore kicked down the door with "Still Got The Blues" and blues became BIG...although maybe not in the way that the true blues fans would have wanted.

Richard returned to, and worked back in the UK in the late 80's and onward with Andy Pyle and Graham Walker among others, (who went to Gary Moore's band) and was negotiating a deal with Virgin, that the recession very quickly put an end to! Richardplayed on a great many albums in that period for JSP records, as a guitar session playe, and gigged with his own band, plus The Stretchers, with a variety of lineups covering a variety of styles... "thats just a bit of fun, really..its never really been about money to me"

Plus there have been many UK dates and European tours with Zydeco band Le Rue..."my biggest earner and focus through the 90's.. Pierre is a close friend to me."

Towards the end of the 90's he started recording and producing, going on to open Tone Zone studio, where some great CDs were made. Richard moved when the original building was converted to a residence, but has never found another place that sounded the same. Some of the material recorded and written from then has found its way onto his solo CD, 'Zoned'. While at the studio, Richard recorded, played on and produced award nominated and critically acclaimed work with Eric Bibb, Arthur Brown, David Maxwell, Hubert Sumlin, The Kenney Jones Band, Donovan, Deborah Bonham, Damon Hill, and many other wonderful artists, both local and international. However, Richard's favourite album recorded at the Tone Zone is still Roger Hubbards "Deep Mud"...

Richards musical favourites and influences are still 50's and 60's R & B, blues, soul, cajun and zydeco, and American roots music generally. Plus early Stones and Beatles.

Richard is now in a band with ex Steve Marriot bass player Jim Leverton and longtime associate Steve Thorneycroft, going out as "The Blue Devils", and playing mainly blues/R & B and original songs. "enjoying ourselves... because life's too short to really worry... A CD is in the works....he also undertakes recording projects as an independent record producer and engineer.

Richard is also still gigging with le Rue, visiting Holland this August, and playing The River Cafe in Fulham as much as three times a year, for parties and of course, the Cafe book launch. The Stretchers play only on Beatles Day now, for Macmillan. Their CD is available, profits to Macmillan. These days, its the same lineup as The Devils plus local guitarist Tom Jaworski.

And of course there's DJ'ing at Hastings Rock....Expect to see the band at the Black Horse Festival next year...

*Charles "Honeyboy" Otis is the drummer in that fantastic clip of Little Richard from the film "The Girl Can't Help It" with Jayne Mansfield.

**Sherman Holmes tours with The Holmes Brothers, having recorded a couple of CDs for Peter Gabriel's Womad label.

***Bill Dicey is no longer with us, but he was one of the best harmonica players I ever heard, having gigged with Bonnie Raitt, Canned Heat, and prewar blues diva Victoria Spivey.